Steam link update no longer works

WODAK

@mitu said in Steam link update no longer works:

I updated Steamlink also (to version 1.1.72.177) and the interface starts ok - but I don't have a Steam client connected (I don't have one at the moment), so it just shows the startup screen, listing the controller connected.

Does the black screen happens with or without any Steam client connected from your desktop/pc ? Or does it black out when starting a game ?

Can you check the exact version you have installed (in /home/pi/.local/share/SteamLink/version.txt) ?

The steamlink applications runs fine. The RP4b is the only client on the Steam running on my computer. The black screen shows after I click "Start playing".
When I press the esc button on the keyboard the screen closes and shows again the first screen of the steamlink application

WODAK

@wodak said in Steam link update no longer works:

/home/pi/.local/share/SteamLink/version.txt

pi@retropie:~/.local/share/SteamLink $ cat /home/pi/.local/share/SteamLink/version.txt
1.1.72.177

WODAK

Anyone know how to revert steam link back to version 1.1.68.170?
I found some threads SteamLink for Raspberry Pi Released but I dont know where to edit those texts from Swampy:

STEAMLINK_DATA_HOME="${XDG_DATA_HOME:-$HOME/.local/share}"/SteamLink
echo "file://$STEAMLINK_DATA_HOME" >"$STEAMLINK_DATA_HOME/update_url"
echo "http://media.steampowered.com/steamlink/rpi/steamlink-rpi3-1.1.68.170.tar.gz" >"$STEAMLINK_DATA_HOME/public_build.txt"

I checked the files in .local/share/SteamLink/steamlink.sh but there are no similar texts as described above...

WODAK

I just reverted to the older version and everything works fine....

here are the steps.

#go to folder
cd .local/share/
#remove the folder SteamLink
rm -rf SteamLink
#grab the version steamlink-rpi4-1.1.68.170.tar.gz
wget http://media.steampowered.com/steamlink/rpi/steamlink-rpi3-1.1.68.170.tar.gz
#extract it
tar -xvf steamlink-rpi3-1.1.68.170.tar.gz
# rename the folder
mv -i steamlink SteamLink
#remove the downloaded tar
rm -rf steamlink-rpi3-1.1.68.170.tar.gz

now to edit steamlink run command to skip the update after the next run

sudo nano /opt/retropie/ports/steamlink/steamlink_xinit.sh

and replace the following file content with this content

#!/bin/bash
xset -dpms s off s noblank
matchbox-window-manager &
/usr/bin/steamlink --skip-update

and save the file with ctrl + x

Now steamlink works as a charm (again) :)

P.S. you can check the stemlink versions on this link

mitu

@WODAK thanks for testing.

I managed to test with a Steam install and reproduced the issue. It doesn't matter if steamlink is started from the desktop or directly from EmulationStation, the blank screen is always shown when you press 'Start Playing'. I wonder when exactly this broke, since there are 2 others versions between 1.1.68.170 and the current one.

mitu

Looks like the first non-working version is 1.1.71.175. Not sure what changed between versions, besides the bugfix mention in 1.1.72 release notes.

Johan_Liebert511

@wodak Thank you very much!

WODAK

@mitu said in Steam link update no longer works:

Looks like the first non-working version is 1.1.71.175. Not sure what changed between versions, besides the bugfix mention in 1.1.72 release notes.

Yep...very strange...some people claim they got it working over Raspbian (maybe the OP meant Raspberry Pi OS)....personally I didn't try it....so I can't confirm that....

@Johan_Liebert511
Glad to help...It was the least I could do

P.S. I think the last good working version (without bugs) was 1.1.68.170 because the version 1.1.70.173 had a bug "crash when opening "More" streaming settings".

MarbleXylophone

@wodak this worked for me as well, thanks for figuring this out!

Swampy

It will be fixed in the next build.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/353380/discussions/6/4197887985817102874/?ctp=2

mitu

Looks like they released a new version, which fixes the streaming black screen problem - https://steamcommunity.com/app/353380/discussions/6/3108017414035874068/.

Since steamlink updates automatically (unless you modified the start-up script and added --skip-update), the new version will be installed when you start steamlink.

Johan_Liebert511

@mitu
So can I just delete the skip update line and it will update itself?

mitu

@johan_liebert511 Yes, on the next run.

CrazyWind

I ran into this issue and have been bouncing between posts and this thread over and over.

For me the fix was bypassing the runcommand.sh and going straight to steamlink_xinit.sh

This worked for me after reading through each .sh file and getting an understanding of how emulation station adds things to ports.

the problem I faced was that each time I ran steamlink from emulation station on my pi 3b the screen would go blank and after about minute return to emulation station.

the bypass was to comment out the runcommand.sh line and add steamlink_xinit.sh

File to modify:
/home/pi/RetroPie/roms/ports/Steam Link.sh

#!/bin/bash
#"/opt/retropie/supplementary/runcommand/runcommand.sh" 0 _PORT_ "steamlink" ""
"/opt/retropie/ports/steamlink/steamlink_xinit.sh"

No restart needed, you can test it right after you save.

Not sure what's going on with the runcommand, i'm guessing there is something is messed up in a preference file but this workaround, well is working.

More information that helped me:

aodigital

I know this is an old thread, but its one of the many I have been over while trying to find a solution to this problem.

Mind you I'm running Steamlink as a port from RetroPie on a Pi4B 8GB.

Heres what I had to do to resolve the issue for myself.

In the Rapberry Pi Config file;

Disable Underscan
Disable Screen Blanking

Make sure Steamlink and other packages on your device are up to date.
Make sure that your Pi is outputting the same resolution or lower to your TV or monitor as the PC that the games are actually running on are outputting to its monitor. Eg. If your PC is running the games on a 1080p monitor, you likely wont be able to steam link from the Pi on a 4K TV @ 2160p without the black screen issue. I just set the display output in both my pi config and retro pie to 1080p to match my PC monitor and now Im playing without issue.

Hope this helps anyone whos still stuck with this issue.